Enigma Stigma (ONC 2023 Entry)

6.

If Constance had thought the scent had been appealing outside, it was even more appealing as she stood in the small interior waiting to place her order. The bakery was just large enough to squeeze in a few rounded tables inside for patrons to sit and talk at for a bit. There was only one college aged student in the corner currently who was typing away feverishly on his laptop.

"Can I help you miss?" came a voice as Constance looked back towards the front counter. A kind middle-aged woman stood before her. She wore a blush pink apron over her white top and black slacks. A name tag was pinned to the front stating that her name was Darla.

"Yes, I'd like to place a to go order please," she said.

Darla dug out a notepad to quickly write down the order that Constance gave her. As she rang up the total, Constance used the money her mysterious stranger gave her to pay for it.

"It'll be just a moment dear. I have to brew a fresh pot of coffee," she said as Constance nodded her head.

As she waited for her order, she cast her eyes about the bakery once more. On the walls on either side of her hung rows upon rows of family photos. There were so many people clustered in the pictures and the pictures were up so high that Constance couldn't make out who any of them were. All she could make out was that they were happy.

"Here's your order, dear."

Constance looked away from the framed memories back to the smiling woman before her. Constance nodded as she took a step forward to grab her order off the counter. Without giving the pictures on the wall a second thought, she thanked the woman once more before moving to step back outside.

When Constance emerged from the bakery, she was relived to see that her mysterious man was still standing there. She had half suspected that he might have used the order as some sort of diversion to disappear again. Constance was counting all these instances as small victories. She walked over to him with a proud smile upon her lips.

"I got your order and bought you some water to go with it since I wasn't sure if you liked coffee."

"I see you got coffee though," he said, nodding his head towards the coffee cup in one of her hands. "Do you really need the extra caffeine?"

"I am choosing to take it as a compliment that I'm naturally chipper," she said as the smirk reappeared on his face. "So, is there anywhere nearby where we can eat unobserved?"

He nodded his head. This time he didn't grab her wrist to drag her behind him as he began to walk. She figured that it was probably because her hands were currently filled with their food. She followed after him for a few minutes until they came to a stop at a park. He wandered over to a picnic table that was tucked away from the sidewalk in between two trees. Constance had to admit to herself that she was surprised to see such scenery in such an unseemly side of the city.

"Here you go," she said as she took a seat in front of him on the picnic bench to block him from view of anyone walking by. She didn't need anyone from the sidewalk seeing a cinnamon muffin floating through thin air as he ate.

He eyed the brown paper bag in front of him for a moment before opening it and digging the muffin out. She watched as he looked at it for a moment before taking a bite. It intrigued and saddened her that he was treating this muffin like it was a delicacy.

"Here's your change too, by the way," she said as she deposited what was left of the money he gave her onto the table in front of him. She watched as a few crumbs from his muffin danced across the top of it.

He just nodded his head, staying lost in his little muffin world. Constance chuckled as she moved to open the muffin that she had gotten for herself. She took a bite or two out of her raspberry muffin as the man looked over at her.

"Why do you want to know who I am so badly for?" He asked after he swallowed the bite in his mouth.

"It's because you're an enigma to me. I want to know who you are and why I'm the only one who can see you."

"Wait. Did you just call me an enigma?"

"Yes, why?"

"Who even uses that word anymore?" he asked as Constance felt her cheeks heat up.

"I...I choose the unusual words once in a while. It's an author thing," she said as she made eye contact with her raspberry muffin instead of him. "You're a mystery, but enigma sounds better."

"Hopeless and the Enigma...Catchy title for sure," he commented as he finished the last of his muffin. "I'm sure it'll be a best seller."

Constance knew that the blush had crept up along the tips of her ears by now at his snarky comment. She always hated that feature about herself. They sat in silence for a few minutes after that as Constance finished the remainder of her muffin. When she finished the last bite of her muffin, she looked over at him as he rose from the picnic table. Constance leaned forward to pick up their trash before throwing it into a nearby garbage can.

"I'll take you back to the bus stop now," he said. "Now that you're full, it's time you go home."

Constance just nodded her head. She didn't know what else she could say to him at this point that would convince him to tell her his name. She figured that this might be the last time she saw him even. He might decide to change his bus route up so they didn't meet again.

Within what felt like no time at all, she found herself back at the same spot they had been before. She turned to look at the nearby bus stop before turning to look at the man to see that he already had his body half turned to walk off.

"Thank you," she said to him as he stayed half turned away from him. "Thank you for everything today, Enigma."

"It's Beom."

"Huh?"

He turned to fully face her as he repeated without any hint of an expression on his face, "My name. It's Beom."

Constance couldn't help but to let her mouth drop open in shock at his admission, watching as he turned to leave and walk off on her without another word.

'Who knew that all it would take would be a cinnamon muffin to get him to open up?' she thought, making a mental note of this for what she hoped would be a future occasion.